Australian Open 2015: Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to win title | Sport | The Guardian Share on Messenger Close When Novak Djokovic gets to the final of the Australian Open , he wins it. When he takes the first set against Andy Murray, he wins it. Both of those familiar scenarios played out in the 2015 edition of the season’s first major, and, in a sad denouement, there was little the Scot could do to stop a player who could remain No1 in the world for the rest of the year, perhaps longer. Djokovic won his fifth title on the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday night, embarrassing Murray at the end of a match that was always enthralling, mostly terrific but occasionally awful over three hours and 39 minutes. The Serb owns Melbourne and, for now, he owns Murray, who moves from No6 to No4 in the rankings but would have slotted in at No3 had he won.

Djokovic won 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0, but, of the 24 matches and five grand slam deciders they have now played against each other over nearly nine years (Djokovic leads 16-8 overall, 3-2 in slam finals), few can have featured as much simultaneous gold and dross as this final, idiocy following excellence like a lost puppy. Kim Sears wears Explicit Content T-shirt for Andy Murray’s Australian Open final Read more Murray blew more important points than Djokovic, especially in the third set, and at the end, he was beating himself up as much as the Serb was. The Scot was spent and disappointed that the sometimes brilliant tennis he had rediscovered over the past fortnight deserted him at precisely the wrong time. Yet, as is increasingly the case as he comes to terms with the vagaries of his sport, Murray found the right words to put it in context. “Success is being happy,” he said. “It’s not about winning every single tournament you play, because that isn’t possible. You want to win every event, that’s for sure. That’s what you prepare for.

But no one in the history of this game has ever done that. You prepare as best as you can. I would rather lose in the final and be happy than win the final and go home and be miserable. So I try to enjoy my tennis more right now than I probably did at the beginning of my career – and everything that goes into it. Pinterest Murray ‘frustrated’ after losing to Djokovic in Australian Open final – video “Obviously I would have liked to have won today, but you can’t win all of them, unfortunately. I’m happy with everything that I put into the event. I couldn’t have done anything more to give myself a better chance to win. So I can’t be disappointed with that because I gave my best effort. That’s all I think you can ask of any athlete: to give themselves the best chance of winning. And I did that. I just wish I could have done a little bit better in the third set.” In some ways, they were statistically close.

Djokovic took nine of 16 break opportunities, Murray five of 12; the winner hit eight aces, the loser 10; Djokovic had fewer unforced errors, 40, than Murray, but only by nine. And when the total points were tallied, he had outscored the Scot by 136-118. But this was a match where the numbers were almost secondary to the narrative unfolding before us. Australian Open men's final: Andy Murray v Novak Djokovic – in pictures Read more Djokovic fell twice in the first set, hurting his right thumb and then hobbling on an ankle that looked ready at one point to totally collapse – although Murray did not look convinced, especially when the Serb recovered so well each time. The most elastic man in sport briefly moved with all the certainty of a drunk on rollerskates, only to be sprinting like a spring lamb within a few minutes. Drama queens, eh? There was also a brief invasion by a couple of demonstrators during a changeover in the second set which, in the context of a crazy night, faded from memory as quickly as it arrived.

It was long, a little bloody (with no recorded expletives of note to report), but the length of the struggle did not reflect the quality of the tennis, as it has in their previous encounters in Melbourne. Pinterest Djokovic on ‘deeper meaning’ of Australian Open victory – video When they met for the first time at this tournament, in 2011, Murray froze as Djokovic wrapped up the final in three whizz-bang sets. The following year, the Scot pressed him much harder over four hours and 50 minutes in the semi-finals, and might have won had he not faded after fighting back from 2-5 down in the final set. In 2013, they were in the final, and, in a very good fight, Djokovic won a good four-setter in three hours and 19 minutes – precisely 20 minutes fewer than this time. Yet here, the dominance looked more complete.

Djokovic, below his best in beating Stan Wawrinka in a five-set semi-final on Friday night, regained his composure after occasional dips more convincingly than Murray did, taking the game away from him after trailing midway through the third set and winning 12 of the last 13 games in an irresistible finish. The key for Murray was to keep Djokovic moving, to get him running sideways and backwards before applying the killing dagger. But he too often ruined his work with poor, hasty execution at the end, threading easy shots long or into the net. When the points were short, the Serb prevailed, winning 71 of 131 rallies of four shots or fewer; in mid-range exchanges he was better too, taking 31 of 45 points in rallies of between five and eight shots. It was when they really got stuck into the heavy work that Murray had some success, winning 44 of the nine-plus-shot rallies to 34. Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray in Australian Open men's final – as it happened Read more It was not enough.

Nor was his second serve sufficiently sound to keep his opponent in check, bringing him only 14 of 41 points there, and a disastrous one in five in his fourth-set collapse. So where to now for Murray? It is hardly disastrous losing a grand slam final in four sets against one of the best players of modern times. He is down to play Rotterdam, which starts next week, but his commitment sounded vague. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought ahead of this event yet. I’ve spent like two and a half days at home in the last two and a half months, so I’m looking forward to getting back and spending a bit of time at home with my friends and family and my dogs and being away from the tennis court and the gym for a few days.” Amélie Mauresmo, who has risen in everyone’s estimation as his coach, will not be with him through February, so he will step up his search for a new assistant coach to replace Dani Vallverdu, who joined Tomas Berdych after their split in November. “I’ll definitely have a think about it because I don’t want to go the whole month not seeing anyone.

But it’s about getting the right person rather than rushing and making a bad decision. I’ll try and find the right person to do it with my team and chat to them a bit about it, then speak to some people.” Given that one of the reasons Vallverdu and Murray’s former conditioner, Jez Green, were briefly miffed about Mauresmo’s arrival was that they were not consulted, that is probably not a bad idea. Djokovic beats Murray for fifth Australian Open title FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Djokovic beats Murray for fifth Australian Open title DO NOT PUBLISH DO NOT PUBLISH DO NOT PUBLISH MELBOURNE, Australia — Denied this championship twelve months ago for the first time in four years, Novak Djokovic reclaimed the Australian Open title Sunday night, Post to Facebook Djokovic beats Murray for fifth Australian Open title DO NOT PUBLISH DO NOT PUBLISH DO NOT PUBLISH MELBOURNE, Australia — Denied this championship twelve months ago for the first time in four years, Novak Djokovic reclaimed the Australian Open title Sunday night, Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 1 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Djokovic beats Murray for fifth Australian Open title Nick McCarvel, USA TODAY Sports Published 7:22 a.m. ET Feb. 1, 2015 | Updated 3:44 p.m. ET Feb. 1, 2015 Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after defeating Andy Murray of Britain in the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, (Photo: Bernat Armangue, AP) MELBOURNE, Australia — Denied this championship twelve months ago for the first time in four years, Novak Djokovic reclaimed the Australian Open title Sunday night, a 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0 winner over the No. 6 seed Andy Murray. It's the fifth Australian Open triumph for the 27-year-old Serbian and his eighth Grand Slam overall.

Djokovic has established himself as the premier men's tennis player on the hard courts Down Under, having walked away with the Norman Brookes trophy in 2008, 2011-13 and again this year. His perfect 5-0 record in Australian Open finals is in stark contrast to Murray's 0-4 mark, including a third defeat for the Briton at the hands of Djokovic (also in 2011 and 2013). Good memories breed confidence at Australian Open Djokovic, who lost at the quarterfinal stage to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka a year ago, is 26-2 since losing in the semifinals of the US Open in September. He'll stay safely atop the ATP World Tour rankings to be released Monday, as Murray will climb to No. 4. Roger Federer was considered alongside Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka as a favorite for this title at this tournament's outset, but the 17-time major champion was shocked in the third round by Italian journeyman Andreas Seppi. Rafael Nadal, the No. 3 seed, lost in the quarterfinals to No.

7 Tomas Berdych, the Spaniard continuing to make his way back from a wrist injury and appendix surgery late last season. Martina Hingis wins in mixed doubles at Australian Open Djokovic, who became a father in October, extended his head-to-head record against Murray to 16-8, including eight of their last nine meetings. That lone victory for Murray was at Wimbledon in 2013, his most recent major. Murray's run to the final marked a full return to the top of the game after back surgery in September 2013. He played a complete schedule last season, but has said through this tournament that he's finally feeling fully fit again. Murray made headlines after his semifinal win when he praised his coach Amelie Mauresmo, the Frenchwoman. Murray's hiring of the former women's No. 1 has been criticized by some. "I think so far this week we have shown that women can be very good coaches as well," Murray said in an on-court interview with Australia's Channel 7. The victory is a 40th career match win at the Australian Open for Djokovic, who now has 49 career tournament titles.

He's 187-33 in Grand Slam play and is now tied for eighth place among men for Grand Slams (eight total), a group that includes Americans Andre Agassi and Jimmy Connors as well as Ivan Lendl, Fred Perry and Ken Rosewall. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates the winning third set point against Andy Murray. Bernat Armangue, AP Fans of both Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Andy Murray of Great Britain watch the action in their men's final match. Michael Dodge, Getty Images Andy Murray of Great Britain looks on in his men's final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Clive Brunskill, Getty Images Britain's Andy Murray plays a shot during his men's singles final match against Serbia's Novak Djokovic. William West AFP/Getty Images Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand. Cameron Spencer, Getty Images Andy Murray of Britain reacts after missing a shot. Issei Kato Reuters Novak Djokovic of Serbia puts in eyedrops. Scott Barbour, Getty Images Andy Murray of Britain reacts while playing against Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the second set of their Australian Open fianls match.

Paul Crock AFP/Getty Images Andy Murray of Great Britain wipes his face during a second set break. Scott Barbour, Getty Images Novak Djokovic of Serbia falls to the court. Lee Jin-man, AP Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts to a point in his men's final match. Quinn Rooney, Getty Images Novak Djokovic of Serbia falls onto the court while trying to hit a return. Issei Kato Reuters Fans of Andy Murray cheer him on against Novak Djokovic. Patrick Scala, Getty Images Novak Djokovic of Serbia winces in pain in his men's final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain. Patrick Scala, Getty Images Serbia's Novak Djokovic falls during his men's singles final match against Britain's Andy Murray. Manan Vatsyayana AFP/Getty Images Kim Sears, left, fiancee of Andy Murray of Britain, clenches her fist during his menís singles final. Vincent Thian, AP Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Andy Murray of Britain. Julian Smith EPA Serbia's Novak Djokovic receives medical treatment on his thumb. Mal Fairclough AFP/Getty Images Andy Murray plays a shot during his men's singles final match against Novak Djokovic.

Wililam West AFP/Getty Images Novak Djokovic takes a break during his finals match against Andy Murray. Quinn Rooney, Getty Images Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after a point against Britain's Andy Murray. Mal Fairclough AFP/Getty Images Britain's Andy Murray reacts after a point. Mal Fairclough AFP/Getty Images Andy Murray reacts after a point in the first set of his title match. MAL FAIRCLOUGH, AFP/Getty Images Andy Murray reacts after hitting a shot against Novak Djokovic. Thomas Peter Reuters Andy Murray has a drink during a break. Clive Brunskill, Getty Images Novak Djokovic plays a backhand. Clive Brunskill, Getty Images Andy Murray of Britain hits a return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Issei Kato Reuters Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves to Andy Murray. Athit Perawongmetha Reuters Britain's Andy Murray serves during his men's singles final match against Serbia's Novak Djokovic. Williams West AFP/Getty Images Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves during his men's singles final match. Greg Wood AFP/Getty Images A fan of Serbia's Novak Djokovic attends his men's singles final match.

Manan Vatsyayana AFP/Getty Images Andy Murray of Britain makes a forehand return to Novak Djokovic of Serbia during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship. Rob Griffith, AP Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a shot during his men's singles final match against Britain's Andy Murray. William West AFP/Getty Images A fan of Andy Murray of Great Britain with facepaint at Rod Laver Arena. Clive Brunskill, Getty Images The Norman Brookes Challenge Cup is lowered into Rod Laver Arena ahead of the men's final match during day 14 of the 2015 Australian Open. Quinn Rooney, Getty Images Pre match entertainment ahead of the men's final match. Quinn Rooney, Getty Images Girlfriend of Andy Murray, Kim Sears looks on ahead of his men's final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Scott Barbour, Getty Images Pre match entertainment ahead of the men's final. Michael Dodge, Getty Images Martina Hingis (L) of Switzerland and Leander Paes of India kiss their trophy after defeating Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada to win their mixed doubles final match at the Australian Open.

Carlos Barria, Reuters Scottish fans cheer on Andy Murray. Narendra Shrestha, EPA Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, after winning the Australian Open. FILIP SINGER, EPA Martina Hingis of Switzerland (L) and partner Leander Paes of India celebrate their victory over Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada in their mixed doubles final match. Manan Vatsyayana AFP/Getty Images Britain's Andy Murray (C) enters the court before his men's singles final match against Serbia's Novak Djokovic. MANAN VATSYAYANA, AFP/Getty Images Andy Murray of Britain, left, and Novak Djokovic of Serbia pose for a photo, prior to their men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship. Bernat Armangue, AP Martina Hingis of Switzerland (top) and partner Leander Paes of India celebrate their victory over Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada in their mixed doubles final match. Manan Vatsyayana AFP/Getty Images Novak Djokovic returns to Andy Murray in the finals of the Australian Open.

Filip Singer, EPA Fans watch Andy Murray of Britain playing Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Julian Smith EPA Novak Djokovic receives medical treatment on his thumb. He hurt it in the first set when he slipped going after a shot. Mal Fairclough AFP/Getty Images Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts to a point in his men's final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain. Scott Barbour, Getty Images A line judge reacts as a protester is removed from the court by a security personnel during the men's singles final match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Andy Murray of Britain. Issei Kato Reuters A line judge reacts as a protester is removed from the court. Issei Kato Reuters Novak Djokovic of Serbia in action against Andy Murray of Britain. Joe Castro EPA Boris Becker, German tennis great and current coach of Novak Djokovic of Serbia, reacts as Djokovic plays Britain's Andy Murray. Paul Crock AFP/Getty Images Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay Can Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final?

Tennis legends give their predictions | Daily Mail Online comments Andy Murray is set to face off with Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final. The British No 1 is in the final in Melbourne for the fourth time, having been beaten on the last three occasions, while Djokovic is a four-time champion. Here, tennis Grand Slam champions of the past tell Sportsmail their predictions of who will lift the title on Sunday. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA – former world No 1 and 18-time Grand Slam singles champion I would give Andy a slight edge. He’s played really well, the pressure is more on Novak and Andy’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder with Dani Vallverdu, his coach and good friend, leaving and working with the opposition. I think he’s got a little bit to prove. He’s believing in Amelie and he likes to be the underdog so I think he’ll respond. I think Andy’s lost a little bit of weight on the upper body, he seems slimmer to me, so he’s still got the power but he’s moving better. He’s got more rotation in his shots, generating even more pace.

I think Amelie has told him to be playful out there, he’s got all the shots so put it all out there, don’t leave anything in the garage. I think he is enjoying it. He’s bought into whatever Amelie is telling him to do so he’s playing with conviction. Andy Murray has the slight edge against Novak Djokovic, according to Martina Navratilova ROD LAVER – former world No 1 and 11-time Grand Slam singles champion I pick Djokovic, only because he has had a little more experience in the finals. He plays very well under pressure. It used to be that Murray’s second serve was easier to hit and Djokovic knows how to do that. If you see Murray easing off on the second serve to make sure he gets it in, then the ball’s going to drop short and that will give Djokovic the opportunity to put the pressure on. I think Murray is playing quite well. He has a little more speed to his game, his stroke production and he’s moving a lot quicker than last year.

Early on I thought he was just too placid, he just waited for the opponent to make a mistake, and now I think he is really taking it to the opponent and that to me means that he's worked through some of the things that he's doing and he is happy with his stronger position. Australian tennis legend Rod Laver believes Novak Djokovic will beat Murray on Sunday MARION BARTOLI – former Wimbledon champion and was briefly coached by Mauresmo It's really hard for me to predict. I hope it's going to be a great match. From what I have seen here, they have played so well. I was in the stands for Andy’s match against Tomas Berdych. I thought Andy was able to get a little bit more power on his groundstrokes and use more of his aggressive game. You can't really massively change the game of someone who is already a Grand Slam winner but they are slightly small changes which make a difference. Amelie is able to really motivate you as well as channelling your stress. Because she has been in the situation before, she understands what we go through and she helps us to calm down and perform and focus on what is important.

Even at Wimbledon, I remember she was really able to calm me down and give me that look that when you are on court you are confident about yourself. Marion Bartoli was briefly coached by Murray's current coach Amelie Mauresmo MICHAEL CHANG – former French Open champion and coach of Kei Nishikori I think it’s going to be a tough final for both of those guys. Probably got to give the edge a little bit to Novak. He’s beaten Andy a couple of times in the finals here. But I think Andy seems to have a little bit of extra intensity, a little bit more fire which was pretty evident in his last match. Novak’s also got to recover a little bit more, he’s got one less day to recover. It’s been pretty obvious that Andy has made some changes since the fall. He’s playing a lot more solid. Also last year you have got to give him a little bit of a break, coming off of back surgery. It always takes time to come back from an injury like that. I don't know Amelie very well. She's been pretty quiet for the most part, just going about her business. It seems like she's been doing a pretty good job.

Djokovic in training with his current coach and former Grand Slam champion Boris Becker (right) TODD WOODBRIDGE – 23-time Grand Slam doubles champion and television commentator I think Novak goes into the final as the favourite. I think he’s been the best player throughout the tournament, although he may have come off the level just slightly in his semi-final. I just think that the experience Novak has here may take him over the line. My heart lies with Andy, though. I really think he deserves to win in his fourth final here. I think Andy comes into this with a big point to prove to everybody that he's made the right choices with his coaching. I think this is the best he's looked at any major since he won Wimbledon. If Andy's going to win, he must hit the second serves well because he has a tendency to throw in weak second serves, low in pace, middle of the box, and if he does that's when he is going to get crunched by Novak.

KEYS FOR A MURRAY TRIUMPH Novak Djokovic may be the world No 1 and a four-time champion in Melbourne but Mats Wilander, who has three Australian Open titles in his seven Grand Slams, has pinpointed weaknesses in the Serbian’s game that Andy Murray can exploit... 1 ATTACK THE SECOND SERVE Murray needs to go after Djokovic’s second serve and return to his backhand. The Serb is not hitting his backhand well, it’s not dangerous. He has been signalling that it is poor. I think going after the second serve so that Djokovic stops going for his first serve is key because the main difference between the two is that Djokovic’s serve is better than Murray’s. 2 SERVE TO THE FOREHAND AND THEN TARGET THE BACKHAND Serve to Djokovic’s forehand, then go to the backhand and he is going to get something to work with. We know what he does, he slides out and he bunts it back which is not necessarily going to hurt him and now you are open to attack. Force him to hit a pass or force him to go for something sooner than he wants.

3 MIX IT UP AND GET HIM OFF THE BASELINE If Murray can keep the ball low to Djokovic’s forehand or backhand with his slice backhand, it’s a way for Murray to bide some time in the rally. Djokovic likes rhythm so change up the pace. To get Djokovic out of that comfort zone of going left and right across the baseline, he needs to bring him forward and backwards. You can’t beat him going left and right. That would be like that same match they played here a couple of years ago, it becomes physical and then Murray loses patience. Andy Murray in Australian Open final after beating Tomas Berdych - BBC Sport BBC Sport Andy Murray in Australian Open final after beating Tomas Berdych By Piers Newbery BBC Sport at Melbourne Park 29 Jan 2015 Murray reaches fourth Australian Open final Briton loses first set before winning next three Djokovic and Wawrinka contest other semi-final on Friday Andy Murray came storming back after a poor start to beat Tomas Berdych and reach his fourth Australian Open final.

The British number one lost a tense first set but recovered to win 6-7 (6-8) 6-0 6-3 7-5. It will be the sixth seed's eighth Grand Slam final and first working with Amelie Mauresmo, with ex-coach Dani Vallverdu now in Berdych's corner. Murray, 27, will play the winner of Friday's semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka. "There was a little bit of extra tension - it was a big match," said Murray. "A lot was made about Dani Vallverdu, my former coach, working with Tomas. "But we've been friends since we were 15 years old and I felt that the focus was unfair and unnecessary. "This is sport - and there's more to life than sport. It created a bit of extra tension but everyone calmed down after start of the match." The Scot's hopes were under threat after losing a tension-filled opening set, but he turned it around with a brilliant lob early in the second and took control with seven straight games.

Berdych, 29, had started much the better and served for the set at 5-3, only for Murray to break straight back in a rally of huge forehands and celebrate wildly in the direction of the Czech's player box. There was a definite edge to the contest, and some sharp words followed from Murray in the next game when Berdych complained about the balls. Two more break points slipped by at 5-5 but Murray edged ahead in the tiebreak, earning the first set point, only for Berdych to save it impressively behind his serve and go on to clinch it. Murray's Australian Open final defeats The Czech, who beat Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2006 in the quarter-finals, then suffered an unexpected collapse as Murray's game began to flow. A superb running lob, similar to the three he produced in his quarter-final win over Nick Kyrgios, helped Murray break for 2-0, and within half an hour he had taken the set to love. Berdych, seeded seventh, got back on the scoreboard early in the third but it was Murray who was pressing, and the Czech's game crumbled horribly in game six.

From 40-0, Berdych double-faulted twice and missed a game point before the now rampant Murray stepped out wide and hammered a forehand down the line on break point. Match stats Break points 1/3 An ace sealed the set, and left Berdych having won just three games in 75 minutes of tennis. The fourth set came to life in game six when a fired-up Murray saved a break point with a brilliant cross-court forehand, and another with a serve, receiving a time warning along the way before smacking the ball high in delight at holding on. Both men were pushing hard for the break, and taking every opportunity to stare the other down, but it was Berdych whose nerve failed him. Two errors and a double fault handed Murray break points at 5-5 and the Czech sent a third groundstroke flying long, allowing the Briton to serve it out with an ace moments later.

Murray lost a tense first-set tiebreak, winning just one of four break points in the set But the Scot's second serve improved and he made just three unforced errors in the second set Murray's fiancee, Kim Sears, was animated in the stands as she cheered on the British number one The sixth seed is now through to his eighth Grand Slam final and fourth at the Australian Open Share this page Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray in Australian Open final - NY Daily News Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray for fifth Australian Open title Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray in Australian Open final THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Novak Djokovic kisses the Australian Open trophy. (Vincent Thian/AP) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sunday, February 1, 2015, 8:01 AM MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic won his fifth Australian Open title and extended Andy Murray’s misery at Melbourne Park by beating the Scotsman 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-0 in the final Sunday. Djokovic broke open a close match with a service break in the eighth game of the third set, winning four straight points.

When he took a 4-0 lead in the final set, he smacked his fist hard against his chest in celebration. Murray has now been runner-up four times here, losing twice previously to Djokovic in 2011 and 2013 and to Roger Federer in 2010. Novak Djokovic (right) shakes hands with Andy Murray, of the United Kingdom, after the match. (DAVID GRAY/REUTERS) Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray: Australian Open final stats - BBC Sport BBC Sport Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray: Australian Open final stats 30 Jan 2016 Andy Murray (left) has won only nine of his 30 matches against Novak Djokovic Australian Open: Djokovic v Murray Venue: Melbourne Park Date: Sunday, 31 January Time: 08:30 GMT Coverage: Live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, plus text commentary on the BBC Sport website. Highlights on BBC Two from 14:05 GMT. Andy Murray accepts that he will be the underdog when he meets Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final on Sunday.

The world number two is in the final of the year's first Grand Slam for the fifth time, having lost to the 28-year-old Serb in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The Briton, who was also beaten in the 2010 final by Roger Federer, is chasing a third major title. "I don't think many people are expecting me to win. I have to just believe in myself," said Murray, 28. Djokovic has lost only three sets in six matches at Melbourne Park this year, and could equal Roy Emerson's record of winning six Australian Opens. If the Scot, who has also only gone beyond three sets twice at this year's tournament, was to beat Djokovic he would become the first man to lose four finals at a Grand Slam before claiming the title. "It's one tennis match, it doesn't matter what's happened in the past really," added Murray, who has lost 21 of the pair's 30 meetings.

Djokovic targets more history Victory for Djokovic on Sunday would give him his 11th Grand Slam title, moving him level with Sweden's Bjorn Borg and Australian Rod Laver and one behind Emerson, whose six Australian Open wins in his homeland were played on grass. "These are the kind of matches that you work for. These are the kind of occasions that define you as a tennis player," said the reigning Australian, Wimbledon and US Open champion. Djokovic beat Federer 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 in Thursday's semi-final, making just six unforced errors in an impressive opening two sets. Among the few flaws of his passage to the final were the 100 unforced errors he made in a five-set win over France's Gilles Simon in the fourth round. What will Murray's approach be? Murray beat Djokovic to claim his two Grand Slams, in the 2012 US Open and at Wimbledon the following year, but has lost 10 of their past 11 meetings. When asked whether all-out attack may be the best policy against the world number one, Murray pointed out several challenges of facing his regular opponent.

"Roger tried to do that the other day and it's not that easy, whereas (Gilles) Simon played a completely different way and was very successful for a large part of that match. "If you want to win against Novak you have to maintain your intensity for a long time and your level for a very long time." Share this page Australian Open 2015: Novak Djokovic claims fifth Melbourne title with four set win over Andy Murray - Mirror Online Sport Australian Open 2015: Novak Djokovic claims fifth Melbourne title with four set win over Andy Murray After the first two sets went to a tie-break, the quality of the Serbian shone through as he claimed his fifth Australian Open championship Share Sport MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 01: Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning his men's final match against Andy Murray of Great Britain during day 14 of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 1, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) (Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Andy Murray suffered a late collapse to lose his fourth Australian Open final by suffering a humiliating bagel in the fourth set. World No 1 Novak Djokovic won his fifth title here - a record in the Open era. The match between the two 27-year-olds was tight for the first two fascinating sets as they shared tiebreaks. But in the middle of the fourth set, the super Serb went on a killer run of winning nine consecutive games as the Scot wilted to win 7-6 6-7 6-3 6-0 in three hours and 39 mniutes. Djokovic also beat defending champion Stan Wawrinka 6-0 in the final set of their semi-final on Friday. In a rollercoaster match which featured 14 breaks of service - eight by the No 1 seed - Djokovic overpowered the Murray second serve.

The Scot's average second serve was 135kmh compared to the Serb's 161mph. Serena Williams' second serve average was 150mph during the women's final. He won only 14 out of 41 points on his second serve (34%) in a match featuring only 18 aces. Frustrated: Andy Murray had a late collapse in the final (Photo: Action Images) The double Major champion stayed in the match through his brilliant returns. But the Scot has now lost a chastening six of his eight Grand Slam finals and returning to No 4 in the rankings tomorrow will be little consolation. The Serb has now joined Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ken Rosewall and Fred Perry in winning eight Grand Slams. First blood went to Djokovic as he won eight straight points to set up to break points and took the second to lead 3-1. He then held and to go 4-1 up in a blistering start where he hit 14 winners and just one unforced error.

But Murray broke him back to go 4-3 - and then dropped his serve again despite the Serb falling on his thumb to allow Djokovic serve for the first set. The Serb was broken again and fell again and appeared to injure his ankle before the match went into a tie-break after an hour. He was 4-2 up in that tie-break and served a double fault - then missed a very makeable volley at 5-5 before putting a weak second serve into the net on set point. Dominant: Djokovic dominated the final two sets before claiming the victory (Photo: Getty) The stats at that point were a bad omen. Murray had beaten the Serb in eight of their 23 previous meetings - but every time he had won the first set. Djokovic also had a 36-1 record in finals when winning the first set (his only loss from a set up came against Rafa Nadal at the 2014 French Open). The British No 1 made an early break but Djokovic then won 12 consecutive points to go 4-2 up.

But a political protest at 4-3 - demonstrators were wearing "Australian Open for Refugees" T-shirts and two got onto court - actually helped Murray as he was able to get his head together. The Scot had his first set point at 5-4. Then in the tie-break he took his second to even up the scores after two hours and 32 minutes of gruelling play. The No 6 seed got level with the world NO 1 despite winning only five out of 15 points on his second serve in the set. The third set had a similar start with Murray making the early break - and then giving it straight back. He smashed a ball high into the air in frustration. At the break at 4-3, he chuntered away to himself before losing his serve and this time smashed his racquet into the court. He was roundly booed. In pictures - Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray: View gallery It was the start of a horror run for Murray which came to a mercifully quick end on Djokovic's second match point at 11.23pm local time.

Djokovic, who won his first Major as a father, said: "I congratulate Andy and Kim on your wedding and I wish you many kids. It is slightly different thinking for me now I have become a husband and a father." Murray said: "It was probably my most consistent Grand Slam tournament but I just wasn't able to do it. We put in a lot of hard work to get back in this position after a difficult year last year.

Unfortunately we didn't win the tournament but we are closer and will keep working hard to get there." The Scot, who broke down in tears after losing his first final here in 2010, this time laughed and said: "I will try and come back next year and hopefully have a slightly different outcome in the final." Andy Murray beats Tomas Berdych to reach Australian Open final – as it happened | Sport | The Guardian Andy Murray beats Tomas Berdych to reach Australian Open final – as it happened Andy Murray reached the Australian Open final by beating Tomas Berdych 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 Thursday 29 January 2015 07.22 EST First published on Thursday 29 January 2015 01.52 EST 07:22 So at the end of all that, Andy Murray has reached his first grand slam final since, well, you know when. His opponent on Sunday will be either Novak Djokovic or Stanislas Wawrinka, who play their semi-final tomorrow. Whoever wins, it should be a special occasion.

But for now, savour an outstanding performance from Murray, who is getting back to his very best. Can he win his first Australian Open? We’ll find out on Sunday. Thanks for reading today. See you tomorrow for Djokovic v Wawrinka. Bye for now. For now, read Kevin Mitchell’s match report from Melbourne . Updated 07:13 “I probably can’t repeat it on TV,” Murray laughs when he’s asked what he was saying to himself at the end of the first set. “I was obviously disappointed to lose the first set. I had a couple of break points at 5-5. I was disappointed. But I was very aggressive at the start of the second set. I would say I changed tactics a little bit but I also got used to the conditions. I tried to play very aggressive on his service games and mine. I knew when I was dictating the points and getting the first strike in, I was winning the points. It was a little bit extra tension. It’s a big match. A lot was made of Dani working with him. Me and Dani have been friends since we were 15 years old and I thought that was a little bit unfair. This is sport.

There are more important things. It created a bit of unnecessary tension. Then comes a question about his coach, Amelie Mauresmo. “A lot of people criticised me for working with her but I think we’ve seen so far this week that women can be very good coaches as well,” he says. “I see no reason why that can’t move forward like that in the future, so I’m very grateful to Amelie. It was a very brave choice of her to do it, so thanks to her.” You know, some people don’t like Andy Murray and those people are spectacular idiots. He’s brilliant. 07:04 Fourth set: Murray 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 6-5 Berdych* (*denotes server): It’s worrying for Berdych when he loops a forehand wide to go down 0-15 and he’s positively shaking when he frames a simple overhead on the next point; he breathes a sigh of relief when Murray’s audacious lob lands a yard or two past the baseline. Then a stiff backhand from Berdych makes it 15-30, before a double-fault gives Murray two break points.

Is this the moment? It’s what Murray has been waiting for throughout this set. A few beads of sweat drop from Berdych’s forehead and he bangs a backhand miles past the baseline! Murray breaks! He’ll serve for a place in the final! 06:45 Fourth set: Murray 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 3-4 Berdych* (*denotes server): Murray was given a time warning in the previous game, so obviously he’s eyeballing the umpire as Berdych takes his time getting to the baseline at the start of this game. The first two points are shared; the third is a minor classic, Murray somehow reaching a couple of Berdych belters and then seizing the advantage with a rasping forehand from right to left to make it 15-30. Berdych responds brilliantly, however, an ace making it 30-all, a smash breaking through the Murray wall and making it 40-30. Another smash finishes the job, although Murray almost got to his backhand. Berdych walks to his chair and urgently gestures for a towel. He’s pumped.

Don’t be surprised if this goes to a fifth. 06:08 Third set: Murray 6-7, 6-0, 5-3 Berdych* (*denotes server): “Andy, Andy, come on, come on.” The words of Andy Murray after missing a backhand to make it 15-0. Soon Berdych is 40-0 up. Which isn’t necessarily the comfortable position it should be, not after that previous service game. And would you believe it, he double-faults to make it 40-15. But Murray then lets him off the hook with an ill-advised drop-shot that sails into the net. Murray will serve for the third set. Carl Wrigley (@CWriggers) @JacobSteinberg from 40-0 to losing the game? If I were Andy I'd be saying "well done Thomas" now...

05:36 Third set: Murray* 6-7, 6-0, 1-0 Berdych (*denotes server): Look at the score when Murray beat Berdych in the US Open: 5-7 6-2 6-1 7-6. A tight first set, but Murray ran away with it in the second and third, before winning a fourth-set tie-break. Will this match follow a similar pattern? Berdych will have to show plenty of resolve to recover from his collapse in that second set; and there are some encouraging signs for him when he skips into a 15-30 lead, finding his range with his strong groundstrokes again. But he can’t quite sustain it and Murray holds with a cute volley. Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) "Good play Thomas". It's like the Sandman. Say it once and Andy Murray suddenly turns up and starts ripping you to bits 05:06 Second set: Murray 6-7, 2-0 Berdych* (*denotes server): Murray is fuming with himself when he goes down 30-0.

But he uses that rage to win three consecutive points to earn a break point. A backhand from Berdych is called out. He challenges. Murray looks worried. But HawkEye is on his side. The ball was long. Murray breaks. “I do like Murray, and I hope he wins, but he is always entertaining when he starts shouting at himself,” says Matt Dony. “I’m not sure he’ll ever top the classic ‘I’m trying my tits off, here!’ from the French Open a few years ago, though.” a.g. (@aghease) @JacobSteinberg 1st set was 76m, on pace to shatter longest #ausopen match - 5h 53 m 2012 Nadal Djokovic Final pic.twitter.com/ows98by9SN

Question: Who beat Andy Murray in the final of the Australian Open in 2015?
Answer: NOVAK DJOKOVIC